It's yoga even the manliest man can enjoy

Updated 11:56 pm, Sunday, January 19, 2014

Greg Wilson (left) and Ernesto Rosales (below) work out during a class at Gold's Gym at Rogers Ranch. To make it more appealing to men, Broga stresses strength exercises, and the poses remain simple.

Greg Wilson (left) and Ernesto Rosales (below) work out during a class at Gold's Gym at Rogers Ranch. To make it more appealing to men, Broga stresses strength exercises, and the poses remain simple.

Photo: Photos By Robin Jerstad / For The Express-News

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Percy Reynolds (left) focuses on upper body strength, while, at the conclusion of the workout, Jerry Williams (above) and the rest of the class take a moment to relax. That's the closest thing to spirituality participants will experience in this class based on yoga techniques, which can combat hypertension and stress. less

Percy Reynolds (left) focuses on upper body strength, while, at the conclusion of the workout, Jerry Williams (above) and the rest of the class take a moment to relax. That's the closest thing to spirituality ... more

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The Broga class at the Roger's Ranch Gold's Gym also had a number of women participants.

The Broga class at the Roger's Ranch Gold's Gym also had a number of women participants.

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

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Jaspn Padilla is the Broga instructor at the Rogers Ranch Gold's Gym.

Jaspn Padilla is the Broga instructor at the Rogers Ranch Gold's Gym.

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

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Greg Wilson participates in a Broga class at Gold's Gym in Roger's Ranch.

Greg Wilson participates in a Broga class at Gold's Gym in Roger's Ranch.

Randy Reinagel relaxes as a recent Broga class comes to an end at the Rogers Ranch Gold's Gym.

Randy Reinagel relaxes as a recent Broga class comes to an end at the Rogers Ranch Gold's Gym.

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

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It's yoga even the manliest man can enjoy

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SAN ANTONIO — It's about 15 minutes into the yoga class when things change. After a series of traditional yoga poses — downward dog, mountain pose, chair pose — the music becomes more upbeat, and instructor Rey Sanchez tells the class to do 30 Hindu squats.

The students in Studio 1 at Gold's Gym Alamo Heights launch into the exercise. Hindu squats are performed quickly and rhythmically with swinging arm movements. The students exhale loudly with a “shwoo” sound with every repetition.

Welcome to Broga, a yoga class for — you guessed it — men. Broga makes yoga accessible by focusing on simple poses and easy-to-follow instruction, stripping away any hint of spirituality and adding traditional strength exercises such as squats and pushups. You won't hear any Sanskrit chanting, but you will hear lots of references to abs.

“The goal is to introduce yoga in a way that is palatable for them,” said Robert Sidoti, creator and co-founder of Broga. “I'm trying to meet them where they are and speak their language. You know, we're living in the United States in 2014. We don't live in a cave in India or in Tibet.”

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Men offer many reasons why they don't try yoga: They think it's “girlie,” or that it's a religious practice, or that they're not flexible enough. They may believe yoga won't provide as solid a workout as weight training or a game of basketball. Or they may be embarrassed to try a class dominated by lithe, Lululemon-clad women.

More than 82 percent of yoga practitioners in the U.S. are women, according to Yoga Journal's Yoga in America 2012 market study.

Sidoti, 43, said yoga has been helping him maintain a “solid, fit, healthy” body since he began practicing it consistently around 1998. He first offered a Broga class on Martha's Vineyard, where he lives, in 2009.

The same year, Sidoti, a surfer from Southern California, trademarked the name “Broga,” and a few years ago, he began offering teacher training around the country. Broga is now available in Texas at select Gold's Gym locations.

Yoga can help strengthen men's cores, something sorely needed when a growing belly strains the spine and causes lower back pain, Sidoti said. It also can reduce stress and hypertension, which contribute to heart disease.

Like all yoga classes, Broga is based in breath and body awareness. But instructors throw in some heart-pumping movements so men feel they're getting the kind of workout they're used to, Sidoti said. The class leaves out advanced poses that demand a high level of flexibility, and instructors use familiar language.

“I want to talk about their quad or strengthening the muscles around the knee,” Sidoti said. “As opposed to me saying, 'Now the meridian in which this energy line is traveling up to your sixth chakra.' They're like, 'Wait, what? I don't get what you're saying. How is this helping me?' I don't even need to talk about that. It's happening.”

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Carl Lobitz, a yoga instructor in San Antonio who is not affiliated with Broga, said he's of two minds about a special yoga class for men.

“The traditional (Ashtanga) practitioner in me kind of deplores the idea that we have to engage in these kinds of gimmicks to get men to try yoga,” he said. “I think that's kind of due to our culturally dysfunctional attitudes toward masculinity or what exactly constitutes strength. For a lot of guys, strength is weightlifting or football or something like that. Yoga does give you real strength.

“On the other hand, it's hard to get guys to come to yoga. I think it's great they've come up with something that is a gateway or something to get you started in this. I can imagine a certain percentage of people that try this Broga are going to go on and try other yoga classes.”

So far, Broga classes are available twice a week at three Gold's Gym locations: Bandera Trails, Alamo Heights and Rogers Ranch.

A recent class in Alamo Heights drew more than 20 students, about half of whom were female.

Patrick Monahan tried Broga because he wanted to sample different classes, and he figured a class targeted to men would feature more cardiovascular exercise.

“I think it's very good,” said Monahan, 50, after he completed the class. “I welcomed the addition of the pushups. I'd like him to push us harder and hold the poses for a longer period of time.”

Kyle Kennan, 36, enjoyed the focus on core strength. He did have one criticism.

“I have a hard time saying the word 'Broga,'” he said. “It sounds like, 'What's up, bro,' you know what I mean? I told some co-workers I was going to a Broga class, and they were giving me a hard time.”